Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2009

Cup Noodle: © 2009 Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd./© Happinet · Wiz

You don’t have to look hard in Tokyo’s toy stores to find games that encourage kids to play with their (fake) food. We were particularly taken by these two. In Sushi Panic, players gingerly place plastic morsels on a geta tray that flips over when pressed in a certain spot. Think of it as a more appetizing version of Pop-up Pirate. Meanwhile, in the 3-Minute Cup Noodle Game, you have to fit all of the plastic food fragments into a full-scale tub of instant ramen within a three-minute time limit (the same time it takes your noodles to cook, natch), or else send them flying around the room.

Sushi Panic, ¥2,079. Available from Kiddy Land and major department stores. Cup Noodle Game, ¥1,344. Available from toy stores and major department stores.